Animals should be treated like fellow being, not possessions

Considering the Star investigation into Marineland, please address the important issue of using animals for entertainment. Even if animals are treated with utmost care, it isn't right to take them out of the wild, keep them in captivity and make them perform for the amusement of humans. Do you agree?We recently "adopted" a new kitten. She's 12 weeks old, and to quote the great Cookie Monster from Sesame Street, she's "cute and adorable — not unlike me".

Before being permitted to take her home, we had to promise, in writing, to keep her in captivity. She was not ever to be allowed outside, on threat of death (not hers, mine) at the hands of Mississauga Animal Services.When the kitten arrived home, she had two needs: food and litterbox. As soon as those were met to her absolute satisfaction, she moved straight to her next priority: someone to play with. Chase me, tickle me, fight with me — she hasn't stopped playing since.

Some animals love to play, and that can cross boundaries between species. I once glanced out the window and saw two animals rolling together on the lawn, our then 22-year-old cat and a fox. They were, clearly, playing, and continued for half an hour, until the fox wandered off exhausted. Yes, that cat went outside, forgive me, Lord.I once swam with dolphins. They were fenced into a mile-long natural cove with a gazillion gallons of seawater. I got into a game of toss-the-seaweed with a big, brawny female (not my type, but at my age one grabs what one can).